Slowly opening his eyes in a state of confusion, the man on the hospital bed looked around. Despite not knowing how he got there, he looked around and realized that he was in a hospital room. However, how did he get there? He was forced to look away and close his eyes when his eyes hurt from the sunlight at the open window.
He thought about calling someone from outside as he slowly sat down on the bed, but his body was too heavy. It appeared as though he had been sleeping for a while. The man inhaled deeply as he struggled to recall what had occurred, but nothing came to mind.
He tried once more, but then he suddenly felt a piercing pain inside his head, causing him to groan. When he reached for it, he realized that it was covered with a thick bandage.
"Is this the reason why I can't remember anything?" he pondered to himself and then turned his head to the door. He murmured, "I need someone." Fortunately, after just a few seconds, someone opened the door.
A middle-aged woman wearing a white coat and a stethoscope around her neck came in. When she saw that her patient was awake, a smile spread across her lips.
"You're finally awake," she told him, then noticed how he was holding his injured head. "Oh, does it still hurt?" she inquired.
Slowly, the man nodded his head. He looked around and asked, "Where am I? How long have I been asleep?"
She answered, keeping her smile intact, "Don't worry, you've only been unconscious for a day here in Batanes General Hospital."
He attempted to sit down, but was too weak. Shocked, he responded, "B-batanes?"
"Don't push yourself. You need to recover," the doctor said, helping him settle on his bed.
He asked himself incoherently, "How did I get here?" He knew exactly where Batanes was, but he doesn't know why he's here. It was too far from the city. When that thought crossed his mind, he began to question why he was thinking about the city, given that he could not even recall whether he had ever lived there.
"I need you to calm down, sir, and listen to what I have to say," the doctor said, and he nodded in agreement. "Do you remember anything about yourself or how you ended up in the ocean?" she asked with a calm voice, trying not to pressure the patient.
Again, the man made an effort to recall his memories, but in vain. Because of that, he frustratedly slammed the bed with his right hand. He uttered helplessly, "I do not remember anything."
The doctor slowly nodded her head and replied, "It's okay, sir. Don't push yourself. It seemed like you drowned in the ocean and hit your head somewhere. Luckily, a tourist found you on the shore and saved your life. Unfortunately, you had a concussion, which is the reason why you can't remember anything. There is a chance that your memory will come back to you, but there is also a chance that it may not. But rest assured that we are going to do our best to help you."
The man suddenly remembered the woman who saved his life. Her face was blurry in his memory, but he knew that she was beautiful. Right now, he can't remember anything about himself, and he finds it frustrating. Luckily, he did not forget the world and was not left ignorant. If he could only remember his name, he would be able to find his way home.
"I need to find out who I am, doc," he uttered, looking at her.
The doctor nodded at him and tapped his shoulder for comfort. "Don't worry. The police will help you find your family and your identity. In fact, I am going to inform them now about you. Don't worry and just try your best to recover fast."
"And please call that woman who saved my life. I need to thank her," he requested, covering his eyes with his arm to hide them from the light.
When the doctor noticed that, she said, "Let me close the binds for you. That is one of the symptoms of concussion. I need you to watch out for such things as fatigue, vomiting, headache, nausea, and blurry vision. And I need you to inform me if you experience something else, okay?"
The man took his arm off his face and looked at his doctor, saying, "Thanks, doc."
"Alright, I'll leave now. Take a rest, okay?"
He nodded and watched the doctor leave the room. As soon as the door closed, he was reminded of the woman's voice. "It must be the woman who saved me. I need to meet her."
—
Three days have passed since the incident on the beach, but Rachel is still able to picture the man's face. She had been waiting for a call or text all day, but since there had not been any, she made the decision to put it out of her mind today and concentrate on her own plans.
The three girls ended up having to leave the island early today, leaving her all by herself once more. When they left, she decided to eat her lunch somewhere else. She was eager to try other local foods because everyone had raved about them.
What she was more interested in was Batanes' famous Honesty Coffee Shop. It was said to be the Batanes' pride because it embodies their honesty culture and the values of the locals since there are no staff working in the store. Customers are welcome to browse the store at their leisure, take what they want, and pay honestly.
Rachel was smitten with the concept of the store and was planning a quick trip there. She was about to leave when she saw the beach from her position. Even though it was quite a distance away from her, she could still see how beautiful it was, something she had not realized before due to the incident. As soon as she thought of that, she was instantly reminded of it by the mysterious man who suddenly appeared there.
She grinned and made the decision to return to the beach. As she continued to stroll along the sand, she learned that the beach's name was Morong Beach. It was not until then that she noticed the stunning boulder standing on the beach. Luckily, she had her camera with her and took a picture of it.
When Rachel looked at the photo she had just taken, she grinned and made the choice to photograph the deep blue ocean. She would have liked to have taken a picture of herself, but she is too ashamed to ask a stranger. Dismayed, she heaved a deep sigh.
"You did not come to see me."
A deep, masculine voice took her by surprise, causing her to almost fall on her knees. She immediately turned around, only to find out that a well-built man was in front of her.
"Are you alright?" the man asked as he grabbed her shoulders to support her.
Slowly, Rachel looked at the tall man to see his face. The moment she realized who he was, her eyes widened.
"I-It's you!" she uttered, but she instantly looked down and bit her lips for suddenly stuttering, then mumbled, "What was that?" to herself, pinching her dress. The man gently let go of her when he noticed that she was uncomfortable. In that moment, Rachel took her chance to ask him. "How did you know it was me?"
The man turned around and pointed at the people a few meters away from them. "I asked a few people around here. They told me where you're staying, but when I got there, they said you went somewhere. Then someone told me they saw you walking here," he explained. The people in this part of the province were few, so they could easily recognize people, especially Rachel, who's really beautiful in their eyes.
Rachel noticed that the man was wearing the same clothes he was wearing the first time she saw him. And for the second time, she could tell how perfectly it fit him.
"Uhm, Miss?"
Rachel was taken back to reality and realized she had been staring at him for a long time. The man looked really awkward because she wasn't responding to him. Rachel blushed out of embarrassment.
Rachel thought to herself, "Oh my gosh, Rachel. How could you mess up?! This is probably the reason why you don't have a boyfriend!" She wanted to slap herself, but she tried her best to stay composed in front of a man and said, "I'm Rachel Yoo. May I know your name?"
It was as if she had done something wrong again because the man's expression suddenly changed.
"Now, what did I do wrong?" she thought and bit her lower lip.
—
End of Chapter 5